Douglas Harper's Etymology Dictionary
Old English Buccingahamscir, from Buccingahamme (early 10c.), "River-bend land of the family or followers of a man called Bucca."
Wiktionary
n. An inland county of England bounded by Northamptonshire, Bedfordshire, Hertfordshire, Greater London, Berkshire and Oxfordshire.
Wikipedia
Buckinghamshire ( or ), abbreviated Bucks and formerly known as the County of Buckingham, is a ceremonial county in South East England. It borders Greater London to the south east, Berkshire to the south, Oxfordshire to the west, Northamptonshire to the north, Bedfordshire to the north east and Hertfordshire to the east.
Buckinghamshire is a home county and towns such as High Wycombe, Amersham and the Chalfonts in the east and southeast of the county are parts of the London commuter belt, forming some of the most densely-populated parts of the county. Development in this region is restricted by the Metropolitan Green Belt. Other large settlements include the county town of Aylesbury, Marlow in the south near the Thames and Princes Risborough in the west near Oxford. Some areas without direct rail links to London, such as around the old county town of Buckingham and near Olney in the northeast, are much less populous. The largest town is Milton Keynes in the northeast, which with the surrounding area is administered as a unitary authority separately to the rest of Buckinghamshire. The remainder of the county is administered by Buckinghamshire County Council as a non-metropolitan county. In national elections, Buckinghamshire is considered a reliable supporter of the Conservative Party.
A large part of the Chiltern Hills, an Area of Outstanding Natural Beauty, runs through the south of the county and attracts many walkers and cyclists from London. In this area older buildings are often made from local flint and red brick. Many parts of the county are quite affluent and like many areas around London this has led to problems with housing costs: several reports have identified the market town of Beaconsfield as having among the highest property prices outside London. Chequers, a mansion estate owned by the government, is the country retreat of the incumbent Prime Minister. To the north of the county lies rolling countryside in the Vale of Aylesbury and around the Great Ouse. The Thames forms part of the county’s southwestern boundary. Notable service amenities in the county are Pinewood Film Studios, Dorney rowing lake and part of Silverstone race track on the Northamptonshire border. Many national companies have offices in Milton Keynes. Heavy industry and quarrying is limited, with agriculture predominating after service industries.
Buckinghamshire is a former United Kingdom Parliamentary constituency. It was a constituency of the House of Commons of the Parliament of England then of the Parliament of Great Britain from 1707 to 1800 and of the Parliament of the United Kingdom from 1801 to 1885.
Its most prominent member was Prime Minister Benjamin Disraeli.
Buckinghamshire is a county in southeast England.
Buckinghamshire may also refer to:
- Buckinghamshire (UK Parliament constituency), a former United Kingdom Parliamentary constituency, 1707–1885
- South Buckinghamshire (UK Parliament constituency), a former County constituency and a division of the Administrative County of Buckinghamshire, 1950–1974
Usage examples of "buckinghamshire".
They did not at once return to their home at Scarborough, but spent a month in Hertford, Oxford and Buckinghamshire, attending the meetings of Friends in these counties, and visiting that of Berkhamstead several times.
The tour which John and Martha Yeardley made in and around Buckinghamshire, and which is mentioned at the conclusion of the last chapter, was undertaken in quest of a new place of abode.
Very soon after they had taken possession of their new dwelling, they made a circuit through the meetings of Buckinghamshire and Northamptonshire, holding a few public meetings by the way: and the next summer they undertook a more extensive religious visit--viz.
Frank Dawson behind them with no trace of expression in his deep Buckinghamshire voice.
And the white mare wheeled them round away from the river and rose into the air, skimming the foaming water, crossing the Thames to the side that is the end of Buckinghamshire, the beginning of Berkshire.
He was widely remembered in Mardham because of the murder inquiry two years before when briefly the dozy little Buckinghamshire town hit page one of the tabloid press.
In 1740 Hobart became lord-lieutenant of Norfolk and in 1746 earl of Buckinghamshire, his sister, Henrietta Howard, countess of Suffolk, being the mistress of George II.
In 1824 the 5th earl inherited the Buckinghamshire estates of the Hampden family and took the name of Hampden, his ancestor, Sir John Hobart, 3rd baronet, having married Mary Hampden about 1655.
With the grouping of the settlements into kingdoms and the consolidation of Mercia under Offa, Buckinghamshire was included in Mercia until, with the submission of that kingdom to the Northmen, it became part of the Danelaw.
Norman invasion Buckinghamshire was probably included in the earldom of Leofwine, son of Godwin, and the support which it lent him at the battle of Hastings was punished by sweeping confiscations after the Conquest.
The proximity of Buckinghamshire to London caused it to be involved in most of the great national events of the ensuing centuries.
In the civil war Buckinghamshire was one of the first counties to join in an association for mutual defence on the side of the parliament, which had important garrisons at Aylesbury, Brill and elsewhere.
Until the time of Queen Elizabeth Buckinghamshire and Bedfordshire had a common sheriff.
After the dissolution of the monasteries it was proposed to form a new diocese to include Bedfordshire and Buckinghamshire, but the project was abandoned, and both remained in the Lincoln diocese until 1837, when the latter was transferred to Oxford.
Few of the great Buckinghamshire estates, however, remained with the same proprietors for any length of time.